NURS 5052 EB006 Discussion
Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is nowadays recognized as the background of nursing, and the clinical judgment depends on the latest researches, patient preferences, and the clinical experience. As the largest population of healthcare professionals, nurses are in a better position to support and guide EBP to realize improved patient outcomes, safer environment, and enhanced healthcare delivery. However, despite the recognition of the importance, other elements that obstruct the full implementation of EBP into the nurse care routine can still be observed (Naz and Ganaie, 2023). The role of a nurse as a change agent as to the change based on EBP is addressed here and the main barriers that impede the effective implementation in healthcare organizations are outlined.
Nurses as Advocates for Evidence-Based Practice
Nurses are major agents of EBP since they play the role of bridging the relationship between research and practice. The fact that they are direct to patients and have interdisciplinary teams place them in the unique role of determining areas where care delivery can be improved through the use of evidence-based interventions (Alrwaili and Baqan, 2024). The first step in advocacy is awareness as the nurses must be knowledgeable of the new research and best practices and actively spread them in the clinical setting. Nurses can transform the world by presenting the questions of the previous world and by advocating the application of experimented methods. This advocacy position is related to leadership and collaboration; nurses as the advocates of EBP tend to mentor their associates, become a part of the process of policy making, and be included in the quality improvement initiatives. Moreover, nurse leaders are expected to play a significant role in building an organizational culture values inquiry, lifelong learning, and innovation and ultimately make EBP a mission.
Barriers to Implementing Evidence-Based Changes
Despite the good recommendations that have been put forward in favor of EBP, its adoption has a lot of barriers that can be met. The resistance to change by the healthcare staff is one of the primary issues and normally happens because of the lack of understanding or fear of the unknown. Time constraints, too much workload and absence of research material also complicate the process (Alsadaan and Ramadan, 2025). Another area of focus is the organizational culture so that when the management does not make EBP a priority or provide the necessary support, the staff involvement is likely to be lowered. Additionally, the application and implementation of the evidence in practice may be difficult when the nursing staff is not trained well regarding the skills of research appraisal and critical thinking. The leadership must be considerate towards the necessity to invest into and empower the members of staff to improve continuous learning and collaboration to overcome these barriers (Dabak et al., 2024).
Conclusion
In conclusion, nurses cannot be substituted as the champions of the evidence-based practice, and they are significant in contributing to the EBP-based change within the healthcare organizations. Though issues like resistance, lack of time and support still exist, they can be solved through offering education, leadership intervention and instilling positive culture. Nurses in the decision to be the sources of change and knowledge brokers can ensure that the subsequent care of patients will continue to be advanced per the latest recommendations and will ultimately lead to improved outcomes and a more resilient and adaptive health care setting.
References
Alrwaili, M., & Baqan, F. (2024). Nurses’ perspectives regarding evidence-based practice implementation in their duties: a comprehensive narrative review. Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research , 7(S8), 182–187. https://doi.org/10.63278/jicrcr.vi.636
Alsadaan, N., & Ramadan, O. M. E. (2025). Barriers and facilitators in implementing evidence-based practice: a parallel cross-sectional mixed methods study among nursing administrators. BMC Nursing, 24(1), 403. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03059-z
Dabak, Z., Toqan, D., Malak, Malakeh. Z., Al-Amer, R., & Ayed, A. (2024). Knowledge, attitudes, practice, and perceived barriers toward evidence-based practice among Palestinian nurses in intensive care units. BMC Nursing, 23(1), 950. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02646-w
Naz, H., & Ganaie, N. A. (2023). Evidence-based practice in nursing: A comprehensive review. Clinical Medicine and Health Research Journal, 3(6), 713–715. https://doi.org/10.18535/cmhrj.v3i6.254